Adjustable trip for postal machines



June 9,' 1931. l w, c ALLEN I 1,809,264

ADJUSTABLE TRIP FOR POSTAL MACHINES Filed Jan. 21. 1929 r INVENTOR M45017 6'. /7LLE/V BY 7%07 @w/V ATTO/q/VEy 1 UNIT D 'STA velope Patented June 9, 1931' 'TO RALPH G. WHITLOCK TES PATENT OFF-[ca a WTLBUR- G. ALLEN, OF LOS ANGELES, GALI EORN'IA-ASSIGNOR, I BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, PATENTS, INC., A GORPQRATION OF NEVADA.

ADJUSTABLE TRIP FOR POSTAL MACHINES Application filed January 21, 1929. Serial No. 333,904.

The device ofthe. present invention provides for the selective positioning of mechanically conveyed articles with respect a a fixed station at which some action maybe periformed upon the article, and is particularly designed for use in a mail mark'ng machine, having a power driven conveyor, to stop the conveyor, and hence the letter carried thereby in *various positions with respect to a printing meanswhereby thejprinted indicia be selectively positioned upon the letter. ong the objects of my invention is to Y provide an adjustable trip forming part of a conveyor control whereby to print indicia at alivarious predetermined positions on mail pieces; to provide a carr agefor the trip which supports and. positions same with respect to an actuating element of the conveyor control; to construct a trip lever having a fulcrum affording universal movement whereby to provide for movement of the trip lever in the path'of an envelope as carried on a conveyor to affect, momentary stoppage of the envelope for a printing interval and .2 provide for movement of the trip lever out of the path of the envelope to affect starting of the envelope for discharge of the printed, enand the supply of asucceeding envelope,

act in a manner to offer minimum resistance to the travel of the envelope.

To the above purposes my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter fully clearly and concisely described, definitely [pointed out in my claims and illustrated by thev accompanying drawings (1' sheet) in shaped to a trip 27 whichat :arm 15 is approximately incontact with mem-.

v of the tripv arm and its supporting carriage.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation from the front at 2-2 in Fig. 1, showing the spring support .and.stop.-

Fig. 3 is a dia a atical front elevation showingin dotte lines the travel of the trip.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the trip and travel in a central position, the travel of the trip from same being shown in broken lines, and 50 a second position of the trip and carriage and to provide a trip of simple, dur-' x: 80 able and'inexpensive construction which will being also shown in broken lines and the travel of the trip from the carriage being fur- Y ther shownin brokenlines.

Fig. 5 is a more or less diagrammatic front,

elevational view of my device as viewed from the right hand side looking left in Fig. 1.

The carriage tening 12 so that it may be moved laterally to vary the intercepting point of the trip arm 13 with mail pieces.

The carriage carries at its front end an engaging member 10' to facilitate manual ad ustment; and toward the fulcrum point a frame 14 is securely fastened to the carriage and which supports the trip lever 15- with a universal joint as at points 16 and17. Said frame 14 at its front end forms stop 18, and springhanger 19 to which is hung one end of tension spring 20 the other end of which spring is hung on arm 21 forming a part of the adjustable mounting 22 suita ly secured 'to lever 15. The spring 20 functions through mounting 22 to tension the trip arm 15 so that the forward up turned' section 13 may reside in the path of mail pieces being carried by an'y'suitable conveyor 23, and further 1O isv fulcrumed at 11-by fa'sfunctions to return the trip arm 15 to its rest position. against stop 18. Fig. 3 shows the cycle of movement of the trip 13 relative to the plane at which mail matter travels on conveyor 23. The guide plate 24 secured to carriage 10 by a support40' acts to guide the travel of trip 13'down to a point below the letter plane, from where the spring 20 reher 28 which may be a conveyor clutch control ried by conveyor 23.

This trip does not intercept the movement of ngail matter upon a conveyor by. contact or x friction between it and the mail pieces, but is only actuated by contact with the mail pieces to cause movements of a clutch to stop with statutory requirement by way of exhibiting one form of embodiment of my invention. Various changes, alterations or modifications of the structure may be made without -departure from my invention as de fined in the following claims. I

p I claim:

1. A trip device comprising a trip; a mount therefor providing substantially universal movement of the trip and a movable support for the mount providing variable positions for the functioning of the trip.

2. A trip device comprising a trip lever; a universal movement mount therefor; means for moving an article in a direction providing tripping motion of the lever; means for engagement with the lever to remove it from thepath of the article; an adjustable support for the mount, providing selective tripping points in the path of the article, and means for r 1estoring the lever after movement by the artic e.

3. In a trip device, a pivotally mounted and means for engagement with said lever to remove it from the path of the article after tripping motion has been imparted to said lever.

4:. In a trip device, a pivotally mounted carriage; a frame secured to said carriage; a trip lever mounted for substantially universal movement in said frame; means for moving an article in a direction against said lever to provide tripping motion of the lever; means for engagement with said lever to remove it from the path of the" article after tripping motion has been imparted to said lever; and means to normally tension said trip lever in the path of an article moved by said article moving means.

' 5.- In a trip device, a carriage; means fulcrumfng said carriage to permit lateral movement of said carriage; a member exby said lever to remove it from its normal position for the purpose'set forth.

6. In a trip device, a movable carriage; a frame secured to said carriage and having a stop; a trip lever supported by said carriage; and means connected to said carria e and said trip for normally holdin sai lever against said stop and in the pat of articles adapted to contact and operate said trip In testimony whereof, I hereunto afliii my signature this 12th da of January, 1929.

- WI BUR tending from said carriage and having-a said stop; and means adapted to be engaged CERTIFICATE on coniuzcrlon.

Patent No. 1,809,264. v Granted June 9, 1931, m

WILBUR c. ALLENL i It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in the above numbered patent was erroneously written and printed as "Ralph C. Whitlock Patents, Incl, whereas said name should have been Ralph G. Whitlock Patents, Inc.., as shown by the recordsiof assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent shoul'd be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 14th day of-July, A. D. 1931.

. M. J. Moore, (Seal; Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

